Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry isn't cutting himself any slack as his early-season struggles persist.
"It's tough, obviously, when you're losing games," he said after his team's 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, per NHL.com's Michelle Crechiolo. "That's the hardest part. You never want to lose; you play the game to win. I don't think I've been giving the guys enough (of a) chance to win every night."
Jarry added, "Obviously, I need to be better, and I think that's the bottom line."
He surrendered four goals on 27 shots during the demoralizing defeat. The Penguins held a 3-2 edge early in the third period, but Mason McTavish struck twice - including a shorthanded tally in the final minute of the game - to hand Pittsburgh its second straight loss.
Jarry now owns a 2-5-0 record on the season to go along with an .893 save percentage and 2.84 goals against average. New general manager Kyle Dubas showed his faith in the beleaguered netminder by signing him to a five-year extension with a $5.375-million cap hit on July 1.
Evgeni Malkin wouldn't allow Jarry to shoulder the brunt of the blame following Monday's defeat.
"We should play better," he said, per NHL.com's Wes Crosby. "The team fights all night. We can't play like this. ... We should win tonight, for sure. We're not happy right now, how we play at home. ... We can't stop. It's just the beginning of the season. ... I believe in this group."
Pittsburgh's last win came Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche, when Jarry pitched a 31-save shutout. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan hinted at a potential shakeup as his team attempts to break out of its 3-6-0 funk.
"Right now, we're finding ways to lose," he said. "We have to find ways to win. Do we have to make some changes? We might have to."
The Penguins have plenty of time to digest their latest loss. Their next game comes Saturday against the winless San Jose Sharks.
Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.